Spider Man Total Mayhem Mobile Game Review Android & iOS

Spider-Man: Total Mayhem Makes Our Gaming Sense Tingle With Delight

The iconic web crawler is getting an Ultimates universe game that is more than worth your time (and money); Total Mayhem is a great game that focuses heavily on great combat mechanics and a storyline worthy of a mobile app game. There are various gameplay elements that keep things fresh and interesting (and anything that dials down the repetitiveness of gameplay is always a welcome addition). More importantly, the overall look feels clean, polished, and well fitting for the Marvel Ultimates universe. So in a world where most comic tie-in games fail to shine, what makes Spider-Man: Total Mayhem so different?

Keeping it Grounded

Gameplay is the core element of Total Mayhem. The developers created a very seamless and easy to use combat mechanic that allows players to step into the shoes and gloves of the web crawler and duke it out with his toughest enemies on an even playing field (well, truth be told, thanks to the spider sense, Parker gets a massive advantage). Punches, kicks, web throws, swings, and all the other diverse fighting techniques that only Spider-Man can employ is part of the package. Despite having only a limited amount of buttons to use, the combat is complex and full of depth, making it a satisfying experience even for core gamers.

Our favorite feature in combat is the application of Spider-Man’s spider sense ability. Basically, this is an early-warning signal that allows Spidey to be aware of danger before it even happens (allowing him to prepare himself to react accordingly ahead of time). In the game, this is a general all-purpose counter button that appears on the side of the screen whenever you are about to take a massive hit. In a boss fight, the spider sense becomes your key to victory to pay attention to the onscreen cues.

Now, some players may feel that this concept has been applied in such a way that it makes the game a little too easy -and in some ways, that is true. Considering that Total Mayhem is a game designed for the general market and not only for niche players however, and the difficulty adjustment makes plenty of sense. Besides, nobody buys this game to break a sweat; they do it to enjoy a Spider-Man themed action adventure.

And Adventure You Will Get

Those fearing that this game will only have Spider-Man and a few villains will be happy to know that Peter’s rouges gallery has been fully utilized to give players comic-worthy battles. Rhino, Venom, Electro, Doctor Octopus, and Sandman are just a few of the many named character that will be appearing in the game. Just try to not listen too much to the voice work. Seriously, the voice acting is just so off that turning off the voices is a better option.

Anyway, with so many villains and limitless henchmen to beat up on, the game easily transitions players into the feeling of being Spider-Man. And this genuinely increases the fun factor of having a super-hero game (you truly do feel like a superhero). There are a few sequences in the game that feel a little too derived or are just outright frustrating (like some wall crawling stages that just take a little too long to be fun), but these elements are so few and far in between that they hardly matter so much. Continue Reading

Release Date: 01/09/2010

App Store Rating:4.0/5

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Room to Spare

As good as this game is, we cannot help but realize that there are so many more things that could be done to improve it. Take the cel shading style renders for one, they are good, but the textures need to be a bit more detailed. Also, as stated above, the voice acting needs improving (considering that games like Marvel Ultimate Alliance has shown great voice acting, improving this aspect can certainly be done). Combat controls need little improvement as it is, and the only thing else to add would be more moves for Spidey, and possibility even more outrageous super moves. Oh did we forget to mention that? Spider-Man can execute some powerful abilities once his power meter builds up -this makes performing combos even more worth it.

One of things we were looking for in this game that was not present was the inevitable cameos and tie-ins to other Marvel Ultimates properties. And while there are a few nods here and there, This game will feel a little a too disconnected for those who are fans of the series and are familiar with the larger world that this game is part of. Hopefully, when they decide to come up with a sequel, it should address some of things we brought up.